Some of Europe’s and the world’s most spectacular birds including hundreds of Dalmatian and Great White Pelicans, Greater
Flamingos and Pygmy Cormorants

As well as a vulture feeding station with Black, Egyptian and Griffon Vultures

And a superb selection of localized bird species such as Spur-winged Plover, Masked Shrike, Ruppell’s Warbler and Cretzschmar’s
Bunting, with a chance of Rock Partridge

Plus a good chance of Brown Bear on tracking trips into the Pindos Mountains

All in some splendid scenery, especially the precipitous limestone gorges

This account deals with the spring period on mainland Greece. During November up to 50 Lesser White-fronted Geese have been
seen at Lake Kerkini, on their way to their wintering sites further south. One such site is the Evros Delta where over 100,000 waterfowl occur
during the winter, sometimes also including small numbers of Red-breasted Geese. At this time it is also possible to see other wintering bird
species such as White-headed Duck and Common Crane. At Lake Kerkini during the winter it is possible to see large numbers of Dalmatian Pelicans
(at close range from boats, out of Kerkini and Mandraki), Pygmy Cormorants and Greater Flamingos while raptors usually include a few (Great)
Spotted Eagles and there is a chance of Golden, (Eastern) Imperial and White-tailed Eagles. These raptors are present at and around the Dadia
Raptor Research Centre feeding station during the winter, along with Black and Griffon Vultures.

This account does not deal with the Greek island of Lesvos which is situated in the Aegean Sea to the east of
the mainland, although it is actually next to the west coast of Turkey. It is a very popular destination with birders during the northern spring when
large numbers of a wide variety of birds migrate through the island, including herons, Pallid Harriers, Eleonora's and Red-footed Falcons, Little
Crakes, shorebirds including Collared Pratincoles, Whiskered and White-winged Terns, Rollers, Red-throated Pipits, Collared Flycatchers, warblers and
shrikes. The numbers of passage migrant birds usually peak in the second half of April which just happens to coincide with the usual arrival period of
breeding summer visitors such as Short-toed Eagle, European Bee-eater, Isabelline Wheatear, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (Rufous Bush Chat), Masked Shrike,
Olive-tree, Eastern Orphean and Ruppell's Warblers, and Black-headed, Cinereous and Cretzschmar's Buntings. These join resident species such as Ruddy
Shelduck, Greater Flamingo, White and Black Storks, Long-legged Buzzard, Sombre Tit, and Kruper's and (Western) Rock Nuthatches to make a fine selection
of birds which may also include rarer migrants such as Levant Sparrowhawk, Baillon's Crake, Spur-winged Plover and Great Snipe, while around the coast
there is a chance of Audouin's Gull (a rare resident) and offshore a better chance of Scopoli's (Cory's) and Yelkouan (Balearic) Shearwaters. For more
information see Lesvos Birding.

An alternative to Lesvos is Kos, a 40 mile long island next to Turkey where one of the best places to look for
migrant birds is Ti(n)gaki saltpans, a good site for Ruddy Shelduck, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Spur-winged Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Collared
Pratincole and other shorebirds, as well as terns. Greater Flamingos are winter visitors but some may linger well into May the best month to visit.
Inland Mount Dikeos rises to 850 metres (2789 feet) above olive groves and scrub which support a fine range of breeding birds including Chukar,
Bonelli’s Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Lesser Kestrel, Eleonora’s Falcon, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Eastern Olivaceous, Eastern Orphean, Ruppell’s
and Sardinian Warblers, and Black-headed and Cretzschmar’s Buntings while other possibilities include Short-toed Eagle, Lanner Falcon, Great Spotted
Cuckoo, and Lesser Grey and Masked Shrikes. Eleonora’s Falcon is most likely to be seen on the volcanic isle of Nisyros, an hour long ferry trip away
to the south during which it is possible to see Scopoli’s and Yelkouan Shearwaters.

It is also possible to see the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal in Greek waters. This rare animal has a world population of no
more than 700 individuals which live in a few fragmented colonies between Madeira and Turkey with nearly half around the coast of Greece and the islands
of the Aegean Sea where they are studied by The Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk
Seal in conjunction with which it is possible to look for this shy and rarely seen marine mammal in the Oreoi Straits between the mainland and the
island of Euboea.

Greece is the only place in Europe where Loggerhead Turtles nest and the largest colony is on the Ionian island of
Zakynthos off the west coast of the mainland where a good place to see females hauling up the sandy beaches to lay their eggs
is Laganas Bay from June to August.

This account also does not deal with the Peloponnese, a large island to the south of the mainland, where
butterflies abound, especially on Mount Chelmos and mainly in late June when it is possible to see several blues, Clouded Apollo and White-banded
Grayling. During late March-early April the rich flora includes swathes of red anemones and white asphodels, and there are usually numerous orchids.
During late October-early November the variety of colourful bulbs on the Mani Peninsula and the Taygetos Mountains at the southern tip of the
Peleponnese is amazing.

For the latest news on birds see
Birdwing, a non-profit organisation from which all income goes directly towards projects to help
birds in Greece and to encourage people to protect and appreciate the birds and other wildlife there.

MammalsNatural Greece track Brown Bears in the Pindos
Mountains where the chances of seeing them varies from 80% during the summer (May, June and July) to 30% in other months. Souslik is also present in
Greece and there is a chance of Alpine Chamois.

Invertebrates
A superb diversity and abundance of butterflies, especially on and around Mount Chelmos and Mount Parnassos where it is possible to see over 50
species of butterfly in a day and a hundred in a week.

Plants
There are about 6000 plant species, around 15% of which are endemic and the rich flora includes many orchids.

Best Sites for Birds and other wildlife in Greece

Dadia Raptor Research Centre Bus trips to observatory overlooking hillside where carcasses are put out for all three vulture
species. Also Black Stork and Bonelli’s Warbler, and a chance of Imperial Eagle.

Mount Olympus A chance of Black and White-backed Woodpeckers, Shore Lark (at summit), Wallcreeper (summit), Alpine Chough
(summit), Alpine Accentor (summit) and Snow Finch (summit), as well as Alpine Chamois and Hermann's Tortoise. Over 1500 flowering plants including over
20 endemics and many butterflies including apollos. Also a Souslik colony at nearby Dion.

Best Times for Birds and other wildlife in Greece

Spring bird migration usually peaks during late April-early May; autumn migration the first half of September. Late June is the peak time for
butterflies and mid-July for plants. November is usually a good time to look for Lesser White-fronted Goose.

Don’t know which country/countries/regions to visit in Europe? Then it may be worth considering taking a look at this
book, written by this website’s author. It is many years old of course but it still provides a starting point, an overview and a guiding light to
the best birds and the best places to look for them in the region, and could save hours of searching for similar information on the internet.
However, it is important to check more up-to-date sources for sites which have been opened up, sites and species which have been discovered,
lodges that have been built etc. since the book was published.

Birding and Wildlife Trip Reports for Greece

Many trip reports, some for Greece, are posted on the websites listed here. On some of these
websites some reports are independent and some are posted by tour companies who organize tours to
Greece. These tour companies and others also post their own reports on their websites,
which are listed under 'Some Organized Tours to Greece' below.

Local bird and wildlife guides in Greece

The costs of organized tours partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders.
Some leaders are certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are
the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional
skills of the local guides they employ. If you are travelling independently,
employing such local guides will greatly increase your chances of seeing the
wildlife you wish to see.

Accommodation for birders in Greece

Some Organized Tours for birds and other wildlife to Greece

There are many tour companies who organize tours to see mammals, birds, other
wildlife and other natural wonders. The cost of these tours vary considerably
according to such variables as the airlines used, the number of days the tours
last, the number of sites visited, the number of people in the group (an
important consideration if you wish to see such wildlife as rainforest mammals
and birds), the number of tour leaders, the standard of accommodation and
transport, and the percentage profit the company hopes to make. Generally, where
the number of days tours last and the number of sites visited are similar, the
cheapest tours are those that use the cheapest airlines, accommodation and local
transport, that have the largest groups with the least number of leaders, and
that make the least amount of profit. The most expensive tours tend to be those
which are exceptionally long, use the most expensive accommodation (ridiculously
lavish in some cases, even for single nights) and which make the most profit.
Some tour costs partly reflect the quality of the tour leaders. Some leaders are
certainly better than others and many companies claim their leaders are
the best but even the best rely at least to some extent on the exceptional
skills of the local guides they employ.

While tour companies organize tours with set itineraries many also organize custom
tours for individuals and private groups who instead of taking a tour with a set
itinerary want to follow their own itinerary to suit their own personal tastes,
whether it be mammals, birds, other wildlife, other natural wonders or even man-made
attractions, or a mixture of them all. Many organized tours with set itineraries are
also fast-paced and target as many species as possible, whether they are mammals, birds
or other wildlife or everything, which usually leaves little time to enjoy the best
sites and individual species, but on a custom tour those taking part can specify the
pace and the sites and species they wish to concentrate on. Custom tours also suit
people who like to travel with people they already know, rather than with a group of
strangers, and people with partners with different interests. Individuals and small
groups will almost certainly have to pay more than the price of an organized tour with
a set itinerary but a large group of friends may be able to travel for less than the
price quoted for a set tour.

Tour companies who run organized tours or can arrange custom tours to Greece include
the following.

We are a small wildlife watching holiday company based in Devon (UK) specialising in birdwatching and mammal watching holidays across the world. What
sets us apart from other wildlife watching companies is quite simple: